Vwvwwwwvma



E. C. BALLMAN.

RECTIFIER FOR ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1917.

1,357,942, Paten ted Nov. 9, 1920,

Iii-1 2-.

33mm: [an/M 5/141. MAN,

UNITED STATEZSIIPATENT o FICE.

[ nnwrncananmaan, or s r. tours, mssounf ass'renonnr mnncrann Mnsnn; assrennnnrs, rovALLnY nrncrnrc QQMPANY, or, WILMINGTON, nnnawann, i

, A CORPOBA'IIQN OF DELAWARE.

' nncrirrnn. non amnniva rme oun-nnnrs.

To all who/n may concern:

Be it known that LEDWIN G. BALLMAN,

a citiyen ofwtheaUnited States, and residing stilt. Louis,rMissouri, have invented the new andnseful Improvement in Rectifiers for Alternating Currents, of which the fo'l utilize metallic contacts which are subject magnet 2 having a leg 3 and a laterally to corrosion and erosion; It is, therefore, necessary to utilize some GXPQIISIVG nonrorrodiblemetal as platinum. 'Sinc'ethe same contact faces are always presented to the action of. the spark, the corrosion and erosion, being necessarily limited to a given area, will be rapid.

embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 1s. a diagram showing the application of the rectifier.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the rectifier is shown as of the type described in Patent No. 1,239,249, September 4, 1917, but it will be understood that this invention may be applied to other types of rectifiers. In the drawing, 1 designatesa base, upon which; is mounted a permanent turned leg 4, which latter has mounted thereon a soft iron core 5 containing an alternating current windingj6.- The vibrator or armature 7 is mounted ona bracket 8, and this armature is provided at its end with a contact 9 engaging a coiiperating contact 19. This cooperating contact comprises a carbon or graphite roll or disk mounted between two metal disks 11, and journaled at 12 in a bracket 13. A resilient spring 14 of phosphor-bronze or any other suitable material is mounted on the bracket 13, and

Specification. of Letters Patent.

. Application filed J mes, 1917. Serial mi 176,90

One of the objects of this invention, there- 'fore, is to provide a novel form of-rectifier Patente m. 9,1920.

its free-end bent and slightly, sharpened toengage the disk lO with aspring pressure. The leg 15 of the core 5 extendslat- "er-ally so as to'be adjacent to and opposite thecooperating contacts9 and. 10 attheir point of contact: During the operation ofthe rectifier,- the armature'will, of course, vibrate into and out of engagement with *thecont'act disk 10;

Now it will be noted that the contact 10, is

so positioned that "themovement of a contact point 011 9,12? e.,the line' of vibration,

will not be radial, but rather to the left,

Fig. 1', or at' an angle to the radial line'from the-center of the disk 10. The result, therefore, is a component. tending to move the contact disk 10in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. Thedisplacement of the contact 9 from a radial line need only be slight, since the armature vibrates very rapidly. Of course, the'spring 10 will-prevent rearward movement of the contact disk in adi- "rection opposite to the direction of the arrow.

faces are continuallypresented atthe contact with this rectifier, therefore, new sur-.

points, so that theaction of pitting, and the wearing down of the contacts will be practically obviated. Moreover,ithe continual relative movement of the carbon or graphite diskwith respect to the contact 9 (which may be of'copper or an alloy) operates to keep the contact 9 bright and clean. The

a blow-out to extinguish sparks at the contacts. i 1

It 1s obvious that various changes may 1 be made in the details of construction withv out departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific details described and shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: f, s r V e I 1. In a rectifier of the vibrating type,

vibrating contact mechanism, comprising, a i

contact element, a vibratory element 1 coleg 15 sets up a-magnetic field which acts as 4 operating therewith, one of said elements being movable to shift the position of its contacting surface, and the other element being-adapted by its'engagement therewith to positively shift the same.

3. In a rectifier of the vibrating type, vibrating contact mechanism, comprising, a contact element, a vibratory element cooperating therewith, one of said elements being movable to shift the .position of its contacting surface, and the other element being adapted by its engagement therewith to deliver a blow thereto having a component inthe direction of 4:. In a rectifier of the vibrating type, vi-, contact mechanism, comprising, a contact disk mounted for movement to shift the position of its contacting surface, and a vibratory element cooperating with said disk and adapted by its :engagement thenewith to shift thesame. 1

5. In a i of "the vibrating type, vibrating contact mechanism, compr1sing, a contact disk mounted for movement to shift the position of its contacting surface, and

riphery of said-disk and moving at an angle to the radius of said disk at the con tact point.

7. In a rectifier of the vibrating type, vibrating contact mechanism, comprising, a

contact element, a vibratory element coopv erating therewith, one of said elements being movable to shift the vposition of its contacting surface, and the other element being adapted by its engagement therewith to shiftthe same, and means for setting up a J magnetic field at :the contact point. a V

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature this 8th day ofFeb 1917.

EDWIN c. BALLMAN. 

